Top performing DDR2 recomendations

[jason4207]

One of my D9 Ballistix went out last Friday. I took the PC outside to blow the dust out, and when I put it back under the desk it no longer posted. After a little while troubleshooting I was able to POST, and determined that I had 1 bad stick.

I know crucial will send me a replacement, but I'm sure it will be DDR2-800, and it won't be D9. I don't want to settle for slower RAM speeds, and really want to push farther if possible.

Right now I'm running on the 5:6 divider (471FSB) and have the RAM at 1132 5-5-5-15 2.15v.

I'd like to be able to play around w/ the 4:5 divider (DDR2-1178), and the 3:4 divider (DDR2-1256) w/ CAS5 if possible. I want to run PL and strap as low as possible as well. I'm not afraid to increase the voltage, but also want these sticks to last.

I've heard good things about the G. Skill PI's, but that was a while ago.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Also the cheapest place to find them?

 

[MattNo5ss]

Something you might want to try on your bad D9 stick is freezing it. I've heard of this working for a few people. I know it worked for one of our benching members on his D9 RAM, but I can't remember who it was, I'll try search for the thread about it.

I think Kingston, OCZ, and G.Skill made DDR2-1200 5-5-5-15 RAM, but I don't know how easy/hard it will be to find.

 

[ChanceCoats123]

D9's are basically the best of the best. I would do all I can to get the bad stick working, or buy a replacement of similar speed/timings. Now with DDR3, well binned Hyper IC's are where it's at. But that's a different story.

 

[Woomack]

I think Kingston, OCZ, and G.Skill made DDR2-1200 5-5-5-15 RAM, but I don't know how easy/hard it will be to find.

I haven't seen any 1200 kits for long time. Last blade series were 1066 and I couldn't even get replacement after half year for my kit so I got reapers. There are no D9 anymore ( maybe except Crucial that I don't know). Some other chips but don't expect to overclock them. Most will run at rated speed and not much more. Most producers focus on DDR3 and from DDR2 are usually cheaper kits.
best that I found and still on stock:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...231201&cm_re=ddr2_1200-_-20-231-201-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...231283&cm_re=ddr2_1200-_-20-231-283-_-Product

 

[dkizzy]

sorry to be slightly off subject but has D9 stopped production for just DDR2 modules or for DDR3 modules as well?

 

[Woomack]

I haven't seen any new D9 kits and even last DDR2 that I saw were on worse D9 series that couldn't pass 1100 on cl5 ~2.3V ( but it was about year ago ). D9GKX finished long time ago and after I burned my last kit I got something that couldn't pass 1100 at all even on cl6. I have no idea if they stopped production but it looks like at least for DDR2. DDR3 from Crucial were still on D9 like half year ago but most elpida or psc chips are better.

 

[jason4207]

Something you might want to try on your bad D9 stick is freezing it. I've heard of this working for a few people. I know it worked for one of our benching members on his D9 RAM, but I can't remember who it was, I'll try search for the thread about it.

I think Kingston, OCZ, and G.Skill made DDR2-1200 5-5-5-15 RAM, but I don't know how easy/hard it will be to find.

Freezing? Did you find anything?

D9's are basically the best of the best. I would do all I can to get the bad stick working, or buy a replacement of similar speed/timings. Now with DDR3, well binned Hyper IC's are where it's at. But that's a different story.

Do you know anything about the freezing trick? What about the oven-trick?

I do have a couple more sticks of D9 in the PC I built for my mom. I may have to go do a switcharoo. The only issue w/ those sticks is they aren't the Tracers like I currently have, and they also have massive Thermalright HS's on them, so while they will run very cool my Tracers will be buried and not get as good airflow.

Do you have any experience w/ the G.Skill 1200 PI's? I keep reading great things about them, and that they scale well w/ voltage. Plus they seem to be the only option available now that can get to those high speeds. Man, I miss the days when I could get D9's for $10/GB!!!

I haven't seen any 1200 kits for long time. Last blade series were 1066 and I couldn't even get replacement after half year for my kit so I got reapers. There are no D9 anymore ( maybe except Crucial that I don't know). Some other chips but don't expect to overclock them. Most will run at rated speed and not much more. Most producers focus on DDR3 and from DDR2 are usually cheaper kits.
best that I found and still on stock:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...231201&cm_re=ddr2_1200-_-20-231-201-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...231283&cm_re=ddr2_1200-_-20-231-283-_-Product

Yeah, that's all I've been able to find as well. But I figured I could try a classifieds post to see if anyone has some 1200 Blades, or the 1200 PI's lying around. I really don't want to pay $150, though!

 

[MattNo5ss]

Freezing? Did you find anything?

||Console|| and ghost_recon88 both had success with the freezer trick on D9 sticks. ghost_recon88 kept his RAM in the freezer for a day or 2, but ||Console|| only kept his in there for ~1hr.

Here's quotes from the thread:

I have a set of the old school dubble sided D9 Crucial Balistix but one stick is dead . I would really love to have these working for the Super Pi Comp.

I took the heat spreaders off and am cleaning it with Iso right now . Should I give the Freezer or the Oven a try to see if I can get it to work ?

Freezer trick for sure. Just wrap it in an anti-static bag and keep it in there a day or 2. I brought back a set of Dominator 8500 handpicked D9GMH that way, when I thought they were long gone.

Freezer, from what i've read it's an internal contact issue most of the time, not a cracked solder issue.

Now if the freezer doesn't do it, give it some heat

WOW just pulled the stick of ram after ~1 hour in the freezer and it is working now ( no idea how stable it is but @ least I dont care if I blow this ram up . ) Lets see if it will still hit 500 @ 4-4-4-12 1t like it used to .


:thumb

also just booted @ 600 5-5-5-15 2t so glad to have this ram back

Even better

 

[jason4207]

Mr. D9 is going to feel a little chill in the air tonight!

More folks w/ success using the freezer:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=206207

...Dominator 8500 handpicked D9GMH...

 

[ChanceCoats123]

I don't really have DDR2 experience with the D9's, but I know they were the best. I never used much DDR2 because I transitioned to DDR3 within a year of my first computer. My DDR3 (benching set, not listed in my signature) are D9GTR's though.

 

[Woomack]

I had 3 D9GKX kits and all burned at the end ... but 2 were working fine for over a year like 24/7 stable 600MHz 5-5-5-15 2.2V

 

[sunrunner20]

Is this on your P5k Premium board? If so more details, please. How long was the ram in the system? How many times has it failed?
My P5k P eats crucial ballistix for breakfast...

I'm thinking of replacing my failing ddr2-800 ballistix (2x1gb cl4) with these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220396 and would like to know every bodies view on this choice.

 

[jason4207]

I ran D9's in my P5K-Premium from when I got it until I went to the MaxIIForm. Never had any problems. When I put those same D9's in the Max 1 stick died right then. I got another set of D9's.

About a year ago I had another D9 stick die on my while I was messing around w/ the RAM and swapping them in and out. It seems they like to die when handled.

So then I had a full dead set. I RMA'd them which returned non-D9's. I put the non-D9's in the P5K-Premium and then got an E5300 to upgrade my wife's P4 478 rig.

And now this stick makes 3 dead sticks for me.


Edit: And the freezer trick did not work for me...oh well.